Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2005, Page 41

Fish Bones and Fishermen: The Potential of Zooarchaeology in the Westfjords
three vertebrae if quantified this way). In
this analysis of relative proportions of the
vertebrae, Finnbogastaðir provides the
closest match to a complete físh where all
three vertebrae are present in equal
amounts (ca. 30% each). The Akurvík
and Gjögur pattems all suggest a more
marked deficit of caudal vertebrae and
surplus of thoracic and precaudal verte-
brae, but the presence of all three verte-
bral types in these sites is an indication
that at least some whole físh (tails includ-
ed) were also being deposited in all peri-
ods. The contrast with the inland con-
sumer sites (Sveigakot, Granastaðir,
Hrísheimar) is marked, as all of these
sites show a clear surplus of caudal ver-
tebrae and a shortage of thoracic and pre-
caudal vertebrae. Since stockfísh would
include most of the thoracic and all of the
precaudal vertebrae, while a flat dried
klipfisk usually lacks most thoracic or
precaudal vertebrae, it appears that the
product most usually supplied to inland
consumers in the 9th-11 th centuries was
not stockfish but something more similar
to klipfisk. The pattem at Sveigakot in
the llth century indicates some upper
body gadid vertebrae were coming
inland, so it is not impossible that more
than one product was being produced and
consumed in the Viking age. As klipfisk
is easier to produce in a wider range of
drying locations and can generally be
produced in wanner temperatures than
stockfish, it is possible that a variety of
factors (perhaps including seasonality
and climate fluctuation) may have
favored the production of klipfisk.
Figure 4 presents the relative
Cleithrum and Premaxilla Relative Proportions
100%
^ 90%
o
I 80%
% 70%
.C
£
c 60%
S 50%
| 40%
o
s 30%
Q.
a>
.> 20%
ro
a>
* 10%
0%
SVK 2 SVK 3 GST HRH AKV 24 AKV 22 GJO AU 2 GJO AU 1 FBS cod
gadid gadid gadid gadid cod cod cod cod
□ Cleithrum % II Premaxilla %
Figure 4. Comparison of relative proportions of the cleithrum andpremaxilla bones recovered. In
a whole fish, the relative proportions would be equal (50% each).
39